Vulnerable
by hollywar
Summary: Evie wasn't like the other girls. She wasn't just some Greaser girl that would jump into anyone's backseat. At least, not to Steve.


**A/N- First Outsiders fiction, so be easy? I'm not sure if I got Steve right, and if you'd like to make a suggestion than review or PM me. I'm pretty sure that Ponyboy never really explained Evie too much into the book, so I just assumed that I'd mold her character into who I wanted her to be. It's actually a pretty brutal story, to be honest. Not my best... but I liked it. Hope you do too! **

**Vulnerable**

After that night Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade died, Steve was scared. It wasn't the thought that he had just lost two of his best friends, and it wasn't even the possibility that it could be him someday. It was the prospect of change that scared him.

Steve Randle wasn't one to be afraid of a lot of things, but if there was one thing out there that scared him; it was change. His father throwing him out was normal, almost in routine. His work schedule stayed the same throughout the weeks. Everything around him basically stayed the same; and he liked it that way.

But seeing his normal life being taken away from him was too much. Johnny wouldn't be the lost, kicked puppy of the gang anymore. Dally wouldn't be the toughest hood me knew around anymore. And this is because they were gone, and things changed.

That's why as soon as he left the Curtis' that night, he ran over to Evie Anderson's like a scared little boy.

Evie wasn't like the other girls. She wore short skirts, and low cut tops; she swore too much for a girl, and wasn't innocent. But she wasn't just like the other girls around town. She wasn't just some Greaser girl that would jump into anyone's backseat. At least, not to Steve.

To Steve, Evie was a safe haven where everything was the same. They had been going steady for almost a year, and she was just right. She was the person who could tame his hot-headed self, and she could make him feel big and empowered.

He knew all the all the right places to touch her, and he knew all her ticklish spots. He knew how to make her happy and smile, and Evie made him feel like he was the same Steve he had been hours ago before his friends died.

That's why he could almost see his world crashing around him as he lay tangled in Evie's stupid fluffy sheets on her bed.

She was the only one who got him, and she was the only one who was really close enough to drive him crazy. She could be the biggest bitch he'd ever met, or she could be the most loving and scared little animal in the forest. Not to mention the girl could turn on her emotions like a damned faucet.

Soda made fun of him for picking up a girl and sticking solely with her. But Steve put up with the teasing because it really was worth it.

Then an even scarier thought crossed his mind.

Evie made Steve _feel_, and that was about the most frightening thing he'd ever dealt with before. He'd been in knife and chain fights, he'd driven in drag races against the best. But he never actually felt anything before, and it scared him. Physical feelings were a lot easier to deal with.

Since he was just a kid, things hadn't been easy for Steve, and he didn't have feelings for his parents. Things only got worse when his mother ran out, and he cut all ties from him father; feeling wise.

Of course, he had friendly feelings for Soda, but that was as far as it went. They were best friends, and best friends had feelings for each other. Steve had Soda's back, and Soda had his.

But it was all a sudden rush of feelings that ran through his body at once, with the change that was threatening to take place. His buddies were dead, and he loved Evie unconditionally. Everything just seemed to be too much.

He jumped out from under the covers and started pulling on his clothes blindly. Steve didn't know where he was going, didn't know what he was going to do. But for now, he needed to get out of here before his cold eyes showed any emotion other than hate.

"Stevie? Where are you going?"

Her soft scared voice caught him off guard and he turned to look at her. Her hair was thrown in curls all around her face, and there was no make-up there. She had once shared with him that he was the only guy who made her feel that comfortable. He had shrugged it off back then, but now it was the only thing in his mind.

"Steve…"

"Shut up, Evie," he bellowed out, not being able to deal with it at the moment. He was scared of how he was going to deal with all these new feelings.

They locked eyes, and hers were searching. He wanted to look away, but it was just something about her that made him want to be a better person. Because she wasn't just some any old whore that jumped from backseat to another, she was _his Evie_. And his Evie wasn't a normal board.

He moved towards her and took her face into his hands. He could almost feel her shocked expression when she seen the hard exterior on his eyes fade away, showing off his innermost feelings. In a moment, it was back, and he let go of her, turning around to climb out the window.

"Steve!" Evie cried, sounding like stupid little kid wanting their mother.

"Evie?"

She looked at him with wide doe eyes, showing just how vulnerable she was to him. Steve was pretty sure he had just done the same thing for her. That was the first time he felt connected to anyone in his life.

"I'm going to marry you, Evie."

The words left his mouth before he had the time to stop himself, and the air was left in a dead silence. The only noise that could be heard was the faint sound of sirens, and the thought that Dally and Johnny were dead was thrown back into his face.

"I love you, Steve," she replied and he could tell she had tears on her face. Steve guessed she realized it was over between the two of them just as much as he did.

He sauntered out the window before there was a chance for anymore words, knowing it wouldn't be pleasant.

Steve couldn't see Evie anymore, because she made him feel, and Steve made her feel. And feelings in this town was a huge red target on your back. So it was better to break it off while they were both ahead.

He cursed out loud at just how vulnerable he really was to this world, and how it never liked to stay the same.

**Thanks! Review?**


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